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Alan pulled up a chair and Mercedes sat down across from me. She said, “You don’t seem to realize how much trouble you’re in, Winter.”
No evil villain monologue. Dang, I disliked the disappointed school teacher. “I’ve got a fairly good idea, but the way I figure it, Faris just marched right across that prestige gap or you’re going to say Sterling is such a threat that the prestige rules don’t apply and he gets a nice upgrade to evil mastermind. Which is it going to be?”
Evil MasterMind came with a lot of prestige. Not good prestige, but better to be an evil mastermind than a powerless dreg. Defeating an evil mastermind without a drop of blood spilled was worth something. Sterling would be an exceptionally adept Evil MasterMind.
I didn’t hide my feral grin.
Mercedes’ lips pursed and anger rose off her skin, and violence. The special sort of violence females got that promised once we got our fangs into you, we’d never let go, even if you begged. Dangerous. She’d kill Hamid for the deranged pleasure of it.
I backed off my own arrogance a bit. “I’m just here wanting to solve a problem. Sterling had no idea you were here. He just wanted to keep the land out of commercial hands. He’s not interested in you, but if you don’t let me go, it’s going to interest him a great deal.”
Mercedes smiled. “We’re counting on it.”
I managed to not squirm, but she could likely smell my discomfiture.
She stood up, went to the little table, and retrieved the paper and pen that had been left there. “Give me his number so we can make our demands.”
I took the pad and pen out of reflex, but asked incredulously, “You’re ransoming me?”
“Obviously.”
No, not obviously. I’d figured after some aggressive questioning they’d either kill me or do what was usually done with prisoners: take me out into the middle of nowhere and leave me there. Then they’d call Sterling and tell him the approximate location of where they’d left me—and he better hurry if he wanted to find me alive. Customary way to get rid of prisoners no longer worth the hassle of warehousing without having to claim full or direct responsibility for their death.
Ransom, though. Ransom was a dirty business.
I asked, “So where are you starting the bidding? What’s a woman like me worth these days?”
“The deed to his arctic lands.”
I almost snorted laughter, but stopped myself from pointing out that those demands were as foolish and ignorant as my father (brother?) wanting ten percent of Sterling’s wealth. They’d never get it past the human authorities, and they’d have no way to deal with the administration of the lands. The world didn’t work that way anymore. But nice try, maybe come back later for the consolation round.
“Oh, he will trade the deeds for you. He won’t have much of a choice.”
Even if Sterling gave her what she wanted, she wouldn’t want it by the time he was done wrapping it.
Mercedes waited a moment for me to say something, when I didn’t, she smirked and left with Alan.
Hamid grunted. “So that’s what this is about.”
A few curious FrostFur shoved their faces against the panes. I ignored them: they’d leave when the sun set in another hour and the cold ate through their human skin. I fished another bit of debris out of my hair and realized I’d lost four acrylics.
“Maybe you should tell me the whole story, Mrs. Mortcombe.”
“Considering we’re locked in a little cabin together, could you call me Winter for at least the next few hours?”
“That would be too familiar, ma’am.”
“You don’t want to know the whole story. It’s not a cartel, and I’m not mobbed up. This is pure family level crazy.”
“Obviously. This is a cult.”
I shrugged.
“I’d like to remind you I’m not being paid danger pay.”
I plopped down onto the couch and regretted it as my bruises reminded me they existed. “Your nice cushy assignment just got an upgrade. Don’t tell me you weren’t bored being a glorified chaperone.”
“You should have disclosed your family’s… eccentricities.”
